CD of the Month 2011

If by chance you were a fan of the New York rock band Elefant you may already be familiar with Diego Garcia. But what you’ll hear on Garcia’s first solo album is a stylistic change in direction; a welcomed one. We hear Garcia turn the page on his alternative rock leanings and also turn down the volume for a gracefully executed set of songs on Laura.

It needs to be said that while Garcia himself was born in the United States, his parents are from Argentina. More so than in his songs with Elefant, Diego uses his Latin heritage as a place of inspiration on Laura. The album is an intimate, romantic endeavor and as much as his words suggest this, so does the playing. From the breezy percussion to the fluttery guitar (almost flamenco) the canvas is set for Garcia’s laid-back, whispery vocals. As the title may suggest, the songs of this album were written for one specific person. The break-up with his then girlfriend inspired Garcia to write these songs, and as the story goes would eventually win her back too.

Despite the fairytale cloud surrounding the album, Laura excels beyond your typical set of love songs. Each song is precise and executed beautifully from note to note. Quite frankly, there isn’t a lot of music out there like this right now. Songs like the album opener “Inside My Heart,” the reflective single “You Were Never There” and the closer “All Eyes on You” are signature moments on this gorgeous collection.

If by chance you were a fan of the New York rock band Elefant you may already be familiar with Diego Garcia. But what you’ll hear on Garcia’s first solo album is a stylistic change in direction; a welcomed one. We hear Garcia turn the page on his alternative rock leanings and also turn down the volume for a gracefully executed set of songs on Laura.

It needs to be said that while Garcia himself was born in the United States, his parents are from Argentina. More so than in his songs with Elefant, Diego uses his Latin heritage as a place of inspiration on Laura. The album is an intimate, romantic endeavor and as much as his words suggest this, so does the playing. From the breezy percussion to the fluttery guitar (almost flamenco) the canvas is set for Garcia’s laid-back, whispery vocals. As the title may suggest, the songs of this album were written for one specific person. The break-up with his then girlfriend inspired Garcia to write these songs, and as the story goes would eventually win her back too.

Despite the fairytale cloud surrounding the album, Laura excels beyond your typical set of love songs. Each song is precise and executed beautifully from note to note. Quite frankly, there isn’t a lot of music out there like this right now. Songs like the album opener “Inside My Heart,” the reflective single “You Were Never There” and the closer “All Eyes on You” are signature moments on this gorgeous collection.